Laughter in the Digital Age -- A Special Issue of Comedy Studies

"Laughter in the Digital Age" Special Issue of Comedy Studies Guest Editor: Peter C. Kunze, University at Albany, SUNY

Websites, social media platform, and YouTube and other video-sharing services make the dissemination of comedy easier than ever, and studies of the implications of new media on comedy and humor is only beginning. This issue examines how the Internet as well as new technologies radically change how humor and comedy are produced, exhibited, and distributed in the digital age. I invite papers, broadly conceived, that consider these issues through either theoretical discussions or case studies of specific artists, texts, platforms, or sub-genres. Potential articles may cover:

The overall goal is to examine how digital technologies either democratize or restrict the creation and distribution of innovative comedy, examining key problems and possibilities posed by new media for the tradition of humor and comedy and its study.

Comedy Studies is published by Routledge. Papers must be between 5,000 and 6,000 words and adhere to Chicago Manual Style (16th ed.). Please submit to Pete Kunze at peter.c.kunze@gmail.com by November 1, 2015. The issue will be published in Summer 2015, and worthy manuscripts not selected for the special issue may be eligible for future publication in general issues.